KILLING THE FIRE BRIGADE SPIRIT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4359, 23 December 1921, Page 1

KILLING THE FIRE BRIGADE SPIRIT.

GOVERNMENT’S FALSE ECONOMY. (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League.)

Everybody appreciates the good work done by our volunteer fire brigades. The time and service given by these men in training, and in tne arduous work ofl fire fighting is all for the general welfare.. Within the Dominion are 104 volunteer fire brigades and, in addition, 36 brigades under control of the Fire .Boards. The United Fire Brigades’ Association of N.Z. has carried out the policy of fostering the volunteering spirit specially on behalf of the smaller towns, where paid brigades would prove very costly. An incentive to the spirit of voluntary service is found by the association in holding Dominion biennial competitions, and annual confers ence, and also, provincial competitions every other year. Hitherto the Government has subsidised these Valuable services by granting approximately £5OO per annum and free railway passes to the annual demon 1 - strations. This past year it meant a cost of slightly over £2500, which to 2600 volunteer firemen was less than £1 per man for the year. It has come to us ,as a shock learn that the Government has resolved to cut this subsidy entirely. What does it mean ? Panic, blind finance, or opposition to the spirit of voluntary service ? Surely it is utterly ridiculous to expect these firemen to give their time and labour in the valuable service of protecting property and life, and in additon payout of their own pockets for attenli ing demonstrations that are part of their training. There is a clause in the Fire Brigades Act .which provides. for .the Fire Boards contributing to the expenses pf delegates and teams attending conferences and demonstrations. The Government has, under the Act, to contribute £2OOO, approximately, to the 36 brigades under control of 1 the fire boards, but to the 104 volunteer brigades it now refuses to give anything. There are only two possible results conceivable from this refusal, one to force the volunteer brigades under control of fire boards, the other to drive them out of exist-, ence, and either is so contrary to the public interest as to call for the strongest protest. It is a well established fact that the property owners in those districts governed by fire boards have tp pay higher rates for insurance owing to the greater cost of the insurance companies, and, furthermore, the local rates and cost to the Government are greater. On these grounds, if on no other, the volunteer system should appeal to the Minister as it certainly is for the public benefit. There is no question but that the keenness of the volunteer brigades makes for greater proficiency. Besides there is the broad aspect that all voluntary effort on the public's behalf should be encouraged in these days of lessened efficiency. We learn that the Minister has deemed it right to class tiie fire bri-\ gades with sports bodies apparently becaue both hold competitions. This appears to us as ridiculous and a lamentably weak excuse for a policy plf what will be recognised as false economy. It is almost needless to have to point out that the competitions and conferences are pari pf the training, the cutivation of the splendid civic spirit pf service, and makes for greater efficiency in the noble work of fire fighting in which the men engage at their own personal risks. We have consistently advocated economy in public expenditure, but want to know, when any reform is proposed, that it is real economy. For the Government to tell these 104 volunteer fire brigade that it will cpntribute nothing to their upkeep is to our mind a policy of waste rather than ecpnomy. To save £5OO cash grant and railway passes valued at £2500. the policy is entered on of killing the volunteer spirit without regard to the facts that if the whole services are forced under fire boards it will entail two or three times greater cost to the Government, higher insurance premiums, and probable decrease in security of) the public safety. It is an example of "penny wise, pound foolish” policy that is more like parsimony run mad than a really wise economy. To cut off this much-needed useful service in order tp save a relatively small sum per annum is a waste that must react in the way of requiring still greater expenditure later on. Unless the Government is looking for the volunteer firemen to specially tax themselves, and to give time, service, and their money in addition whilst receiving no return (a meanness the people >n New Zealand do not look for), we fail to understand ' the reason why it should refuse the usual subsidy given to the United Fire Brigades’ Association.

We trust that even now the Govem-t mcnt will consider the matter and may see its way to make the usual grants which we are quite sure will be upheld by the general public of the Dominion.